The invention relates to a vacuum cleaner comprising a motor housing, which accommodates a suction motor and a control unit for controlling the suction motor, a hose 4, which can be coupled to the motor housing and has a handle 8, a command switch on the handle, for supplying an on/standby command signal to the control unit, and a main switch on the motor housing. Such a vacuum cleaner is known from European Patent Application EP 0,574,998 A1, which corresponds substantially to U.S. Pat. No. 5,363,534. This known vacuum cleaner has remote control on the handle. The vacuum cleaner can be switched on and off by means of the command switch on the handle and the main switch on the motor housing. The command switch in the handle provides an on/standby function of the vacuum cleaner, the entire power supply of the vacuum cleaner being switched on and off by means of the main switch on the motor housing (a foot-operated switch).
A disadvantage of such a control system is that the main switch has to be actuated before the vacuum cleaner can be put into operation by means of the command switch. This is because the command switch and the main switch are functionally arranged in series. This is a nuisance to the user of the vacuum cleaner because two switches have to be actuated each time that the vacuum cleaner is to be put into operation.